


Wings of Friendship

by RubinaLadybug



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25061092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RubinaLadybug/pseuds/RubinaLadybug
Summary: Sequel to “Social Obligations”. Yugi enjoys his friendship with Joey, and now has a new social obligation to fulfill: He must support and cheer for his friend Joey in a chicken wing eating contest. Can friendship pull past an embarrassing commitment? And how can he prove his loyalty? One shot!
Kudos: 1





	Wings of Friendship

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Fanfiction. I'm glad I wrote a focus on Yugi and Joey's friendship in an AU. Enjoy!

**Wings of Friendship**

“I’m leaving now, Grandpa! I’ll be back later!”

Yugi, wearing an outfit that wasn’t his school uniform, happily exited his home for Domino’s plaza center on a clear weekend day. He had on a violet jacket shaped similar to his uniform. He also wore a black shirt and green pants with brown boots. He desperately wanted to leave before his parents snatched him and stole his free time. Assigned new roles to perform, they forced Yugi in helping them rehearse lines. The task was not easy: They made a scene if he didn’t act in character as well (pun intended).

But today was a good day; he had created plans earlier in the school week for meeting his friend Joey. He cheerfully hummed a catchy tune as his short legs strode across the cement. He was not in a rush, yet his heart battered proudly. He couldn’t wait to arrive at his meeting place.

“ _I wonder if Joey has any specific plans today_.”

Domino’s plaza was another fun hangout spot for citizens of the city. Shopping and fine dining were excellent choices. The entire setting was very safe for walking. The buildings were tall with many stories rising above. The first floors were shaded by tan-colored canopies. Metal benches and green plants were placed alongside each other in a circular format. In the center was a tall gold-colored clock.

Reaching his destination, Yugi searched for his tall friend. He eyed gangs of teens roughhousing, couples sitting and chatting at cafes, and groups of children happily enacting playground games. He looked at the towering clock, wondering if he arrived too early.

“Yo! Yug!” called a strong voice in the distance.

Hearing his name, he turned around. He smiled seeing his friend waving an arm excitedly while running towards him. He spotted the blonde not wearing his school uniform either. The tall adolescent instead had on a charcoal-colored shirt with a creamed-colored short-sleeved jacket on top, along with a pair of dark blue jeans. He also had a dog tag hanging in front. Yugi stood calmly.

“Sorry… I’m… late…” Joey huffed, leaning over and placing his hands on his knees. “Were you waiting long?”

“No,” Yugi replied with a smile. “I just got here a few minutes ago.”

“I can see you’re not wearing your school uniform for once.” Joey laughed after gaining his breath.

“No, Yami made me wear this today.”

“Yeah, I gotcha. Sometimes I double-check what my sister wears before she leaves the house. I don’t want anyone looking at her!”

“Yami has something similar to this outfit. Do you like it?”

“It looks great! I’m sure he just wants to wear something that’ll boost your confidence.”

“Confidence? In what?”

“Girls! I betcha they’ll be all over you today when they see this!”

Yugi felt his face grow hot and became mute.

The two took a seat on one of the many benches. The weather was nice for walking.

As Joey re-tied his dirty shoelaces, he asked with curiosity, “So how has Yami been? Have you guys beaten that new game yet?”

“Almost. We just have a few more levels to finish before facing the final boss. But he‘s been busy lately studying for tests and writing long papers.”

“Wow, college must be a lot of work. What’s he doing today?”

“Yeah, he’s been pretty tired. But we play games once in a while to let him relax. He’s meeting with a group at school to finish a project. They have a presentation coming up.”

“I hope that goes good for him. And if you guys ever need an extra player, you can always count on me!”

Yugi smiled warmly. He was glad he maintained a friendship with someone who met his deviant family. He asked cheerfully, “So are we going anywhere specific today?”

“There’s this restaurant I’ve been wanting to check out. They’re supposed to have really good wings.”

Yugi gleefully accepted even if he preferred something that served hamburgers. The pair stood up, and he happily followed his friend to that location. He actively listened as Joey finished a story he was telling him the other day at school. As they carried on, Yugi’s smile faded thinking about school.

Joey noticed his buddy’s diminished attitude. “Yo, Yug, you ok?”

“Huh?” Yugi snapped his head up. “Oh, yeah, I’m ok.”

Joey knew what inhabited his friend’s mind. He assured caringly, “Yug, don’t listen to what those jerks said to you at lunch the other day, about us being weird for playing board games instead of basketball. None of that is true, ok?”

Yugi reflected on his friend’s trite words. He felt renewed after receiving his talk the other day and now, yet he remained conflicted. He struggled with a feat he must assent.

“Ok.” he accepted softly.

The two walked along once more.

As Joey carried on with a tale about his sister, Yugi looked at his buddy. He noticed his smile was as bright as the sun with his personality being just as warm. He enjoyed spending time with him; they had visited many places, including a popular restaurant that specialized in hamburgers. He was glad seeing his buddy acting the same in school as he did out in public. And he always gave his best to not act so shy.

On their way over, they pointed out other places they had either already been to or places they would like to visit.

“Remember when that restaurant offered for anyone who did karaoke on stage a free dessert?” Joey laughed.

“Yeah, I don’t think the manager was happy with your performance, though.”

“But I sang! I got a high score and people clapped for me!”

“You did sing—on top of the table.”

“But I added my own original choreography!”

“And knocked a tray of drinks on top of a waitress when you tried to do a high kick. She looked like she was ready to strangle you.”

“But that free sundae sure tasted great!”

Yugi and Joey laughed.

They arrived at the place with no problems (aside from Joey trying to remember the location as he often bore trouble with directions). They entered through a pair of glass double doors. The lobby held a few arcade games and a section where employees filled up balloons for young ones. Around the entire area were flat screen TVs. They waited for a host to serve them.

“Do you see anywhere you want to sit?” Joey asked, scanning the area. He spotted other families with children and clusters of friends. Some kids were crawling in the chairs while young adults splashed their drinks after having one too many. A few tables carried more sun glare than others.

“Um, I’m good where ever.” Yugi squeaked. He never requested seats; he always left that decision up to the hosts or his brother.

“It looks like they have booths for smaller groups.” Joey noted.

They turned upon seeing a person in the restaurant’s uniform coming their way. Their eyes expanded. The waitress wore a long-sleeved white blouse, and her tight black skirt rested above her knees. Her head carried a full volume of blonde hair, and her face matched such beauty with her stunning violet eyes.

Joey was instantly blown away by her attractiveness, but Yugi automatically recognized her from the previous joint he and Joey had visited. Remembering how fuming the waitress was from the Karaoke-Sundae incident, he became mute.

The woman’s eyes roofed in eyeliner fell onto the two new customers.

“You got to be kidding me,” she mumbled. She desperately searched to see if other employees could take the spot, but no one was available. “Shoot!”

Joey read the nametag pinned on the woman’s freshly pressed blouse. “Mai Valentine. So that’s your name!”

“Yes, and lucky for you, my new job has a policy against strangling people like you.” Mai replied smoothly.

“So can a pretty lady like you give us handsome men a table?” Joey asked with a proud grin.

Mai rolled her eyes as she had the pair follow her.

Yugi turned impressed with his friend’s act and also fearful for his life. He had seen Joey flirt with girls in their class, with all of them copiously rejecting his advances, but here he was confident on an older woman.

“ _I hope she doesn’t pull a restraining order on him. Joey’s a pretty fun guy to be around_.”

Mai pointed to a small booth and grumbled derisively, “Here are your seats, _children_!”

She left them their menus, flipped her thick hair, and stomped away.

Yugi didn’t know how to respond. He only grabbed his list of foods tagged along with prices and brought it close to his face.

“What do you think of this place so far?” Joey calmly asked, as though nothing that took place appeared fortuitous.

“Um… I dunno.”

“Think this would be a good family restaurant?”

Yugi at once applied the menu to shield his true expression. He didn’t like dining out too much with his family. He could travel to some places with his grandfather and his brother when they were in a good mood, but no way would he like to have his parents out of the house unless it was work related.

“Uh, there sure are a lot of options for wings _._ ” Yugi noted loudly as he skimmed through to change the subject. “Classic Buffalo, Hot and Spicy, Teriyaki, Barbecue.”

“Yep, sure is. I’m looking for something with a real kick!”

“Oh, I see. I can’t really handle the spicy stuff.”

“But don’t you wanna be adventurous?”

Yugi pondered the question. Ever since he formed a bond with Joey, he had learned to live outside his comfort zone. He can imagine Joey had done the same, especially being friendly to his eccentric family.

“Um,” Yugi muttered. “Since this is the first time I’ve been here, I’ll just see what looks good, and next time I’ll try something new.”

“Good idea!”

Yugi smiled. He had trouble becoming more sociable and finding new activities to try, so he was glad he had someone patient like Joey by his side. He looked at his hands and spotted a few dirt spots.

“You just gonna have a cola?” Joey asked. “I kinda want ice coffee.”

“Yeah, I think so. Something to wash down whatever I decide to get.”

“We should see what drinks go with what. I am definitely getting some wings, though!”

“Ok,” Yugi nodded, sliding himself from his seat. “Let me just go to the bathroom first and wash my hands.”

“You obeying your brother’s rules?”

“Yeah, Yami tackled me to the ground last night and wouldn’t let me go unless I promised I’d keep clean.”

“So, you have your parents on a short leash while Yami has you on a short leash? Is that how it works?”

Yugi laughed wholeheartedly. Making his exit, he didn’t retain the courage to ask any employees where the bathroom was located, but there was no need as he had overheard another customer asking the same question. He could also deduct the correct room where people in everyday attire came in and out. Walking along in silence, he was glad that his trip so far was processing pretty well. He pondered if that was because he wasn’t with any family. But a part of him wouldn’t have mind if his brother had time to join them. He spotted some of the delicious food served to others. He also spotted the reason why he and Joey were here; on some plates were pieces of meat that shined on by artificial lights above.

“ _I wonder if those are the wings Joey was wanting to try._ ”

Yugi pushed through a fake wooden swinging door. The room was compact but at least clean. He came to a spotty sink and turned on the lukewarm water from the creaky faucet. He pushed the soap dispenser hanging on the wall and out came blue foam. Although he didn’t always like obeying his brother to a T, he knew Yami only cared about his wellbeing, as did Joey. Yugi’s heart warmed up knowing others cared about him.

“I wish I could do the same for Joey.” he sighed. “It feels like I’m not. He had spoken to those guys at recess, saying it was ok that we liked different stuff. Meanwhile I just stayed quiet. If only…”

He snatched a short slip of a white, thin paper towel. He dried off his hands the best he could and tossed away his trash.

Making his exit and returning to his seat, he saw his buddy arguing with a pair of other short teens. He eyed the anger held in Joey’s eyes. He at once sensed a sight of trouble, and he quickly rushed over to the scene.

“Joey?” he called. “Is there anything wrong?”

“Yeah!” Joey shouted. “These two punks!”

Yugi looked forward and spotted two adolescents that were surprisingly around his height. One teen had a bowl haircut and a pair of yellow glasses with a beetle on the bridge. He wore black shorts and a closed green jacket embellished with a beetle on front. The other teen had long, unruly brown hair with a maroon beanie on top. Splits of his dyed purple hair fell over his forehead. He had brown cargo pants, a light yellow shirt, and a green jacket. Their faces soaked with arrogance.

“We didn’t do anything.” asserted the one wearing the beanie. “Your friend bumped into us.”

“I did not!” Joey argued. He had left his seat earlier to pick up his fallen loose change. He was careful not to be in the way of anyone, but the two adolescents purposefully knocked him off his knees.

“Your friend should just watch where he’s going.” remarked the other in glasses and sneakers with moths over the tongue.

The pair, though they despised each other to no end, conceitedly pushed on through. Their self-entitlement gave them the idea of having no one stand in the path their feet walked. Not caring who was around them, their egotistical shuffle knocked Yugi down.

The small teen at once fell to the hard ground and landed on his rump.

“Yugi!” Joey quickly was by his friend’s side. He studied him and found no injury. He at once gave a hand for Yugi to grab and assist to stand back up.

Yugi was always grateful to have a friend help him to his feet in his time of need. As he tried to control his spinning head, Joey dusted him off.

“Those punks!” Joey shouted enraged. “Who do they think they are?!”

“That’s Rex Raptor and Weevil Underwood.” Mai explained with her arms crossed over her chest. “They won last month’s wing challenge.”

“Wing challenge?” Joey and Yugi repeated at the same time.

Mai pointed towards a wall behind her.

They turned their heads in that direction. On it was mounted pictures of people who won challenges. They spotted the pair they ran into. The boy with the Beatle’s hairstyle had on a green jacket with a raised collar while wearing a white shirt and red bow tie. The other one wore a black shirt covered by a green jacket with a tan vest on top along with a beanie on his head. Their expression has yet to change.

“I guess that’s them,” Yugi noted.

“It’s nice that kids are getting out of their homes,” Mai began. “But why must they come here? They cause such ruckuses.”

She closed her stressed out eyes and rubbed her throbbing temples. She had enough of clicking plates, shouting adults, and loud children. She grumbled, “Maybe I should go back to working at the casinos. At least I got great tips there.”

Joey grew disgusted from the two adolescents’ attitudes.

“They can’t treat people like that!” he shouted enraged. “We can’t accept that! We got to show ‘em who‘s boss around here!”

Yugi stared at his friend astonished; the blonde was standing up for him once more. He remembered how much fun they had when Joey visited his game house. Smiling with more pride, he gleefully nodded.

“Ok!” Joey proudly declared. “We are entering!”

“Right!”

Joey was handed a clipboard by Mai. He looked at it and reviewed the rules. Growing a confused face, he turned to the waitress and asked, “What’s this about signing up as a team?”

“It’s a two person team event,” Mai explained. “Anyone who enters is required to have a teammate. They can swap with each other in between events. I believe this one will be three rounds.”

Joey turned to his buddy and declared, “Well, Yug, it looks like you and me together.”

“I dunno if I can.” Yugi declined, feeling useless.

“Look Yug, you don’t need to be worried about taking my place; I just need someone to be on my team and cheer me on.”

Yugi looked at his companion and spotted how much teamwork was needed to pass this feat. He figured he could use this opportunity to help out a friend He nodded bravely.

Joey turned his attention towards Mai and asked, “Do you think you can cancel my previous order? I don’t want to get full too fast. I might throw up being a hero and all!”

Mai turned disgusted and grunted, but she didn’t want to be the one with a mop and bucket in hand. She had fulfilled what the rambunctious customer had requested.

“So, um, Joey.” Yugi called.

“Yeah?”

“What to do we do until the start of the competition? It’s in an hour.”

Wallowing in his ignorance, Joey didn’t know how to reply.

Sitting at their booth, Yugi and Joey drank their ordered beverages to pass the time. They talked of old videogames, online videos with hundreds of hits, and films due to debut, but Yugi’s heart raced. He had been on Joey’s team for videogames and school projects, but this was a new adventure. He tried his best to hide his uneasy attitude. To ease his shaking hands, he flipped a spoon in between, keeping his fingers entertained.

“ _How exactly do I stand by Joey for this if he’s the one taking on the challenge?_ ”

He looked around the room. He noted the groups of families and friends. Laughter boomed as bright faces were plastered everywhere. He grew slightly nervous from the amount of bodies in the area. All eyes would fall on him, observing his movements. No doubt judging him.

“ _Is everyone here going to be watching?_ ”

Joey picked up the lull in their conversation. He studied his comrade, seeing the large pair of eyes staring straight down into the glossy table. The same atmosphere would occur between the two pals when one of them became engulfed in silent contemplation. “Yo, Yug, something on your mind?”

“I was just thinking.” the small teen replied, neglecting to give eye contact.

The blonde at once knew the source of the problem. “Yug, don’t worry so much. You’re psyching yourself out.”

Yugi gave his focus to Joey as he proceeded, “Just think of this like one of our games. We can’t head straight into battle unless we know we can defeat the boss. And I _know_ we can.”

Yugi took in those brave words. He and Joey had teamed up in the past; they would work together on school projects and would volunteer at the same institutes to complete their school’s mandatory community services hours. He would always offer his optimistic innovation, and those had been welcomed by his friend.

He smiled, “So you want me to randomly mash X a lot?”

Joey howled from his friend’s clever line in reference to a videogame controller.

Yugi felt the pressure remove itself, like rain clouds departing and allowing the sun to shine through. He was happy to have a friend laugh with him, and he always liked hearing Joey’s joyful titter. He had already placed his name on the list, so he was committed. He took a moment to think about the future competition. He may not have been the one officially taking on these challenges, but he played an important role according to his friend, and he needed to figure how he could fulfill his request.

“ _So then is the most I can do for Joey is to only stand by his side?_ ”

His thoughts were soon interrupted by a voice over the speakers.

“The chicken wing contest is about to being! Will the contestants please come forward!”

The crowd murmured with excitement.

“Let’s go, Yug,” Joey affirmed, his voice exhibiting his determination and delight.

“Yeah, sure.” Yugi replied, his heart beating with anticipation.

A special round table had been prepared right in the center of the restaurant. A white tablecloth draped over its top and legs, appearing like a fashionable skirt. The top was bare. Two chairs were positioned on opposite ends, and they were accompanied by a few servers. Next to them was the tall woman with voluminous gold-colored hair.

She held an old fashion microphone in her hand as she announced, “My name is Mai Valentine, and I am your hostess for this event. We have with us our winners from our previous competition—Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor!”

The crowd cheered. Some members were active food competitor cheerleaders.

The champions grinned arrogantly.

“And our challengers are Joey Wheeler and Yugi Muto.”

Placing one foot on a wooden stool with a shiny red cushion, Joey absorbed his time of people cheering him on. He wore his large grin and placed up his fists into the air. “Yeah!”

Yugi only stood alongside him and waved bashfully.

Mai studied the newcomers. She at once picked up the dissimilarity between them. Her face fully expressed her demeanor, as if she was thinking, “ _Those two couldn’t be any more different from each other._ ”

The previous champions glared at their opponents.

“So these guys really think they can take us on?” Rex questioned.

“We’ll just have to show them the hard way,” Weevil grinned.

Joey growled.

“This competition will be of three separate feats.” Mai explained. “They will be revealed at the start of each round. Will one teammate from each group please take a seat.”

Joey sat down at a vacant stool while eying his enemy. Gathering his information, he knew the team had won the previous challenge. He wondered if they had any special training or if their previous competitors were pure amateurs. The establishment was famous for their wings on a local level, but it did not own a well-renowned counteraction.

The short teen with glasses grinned maliciously, unafraid of his challenger.

“Our first round is eating fifteen wings in sixty seconds! The one who eats the most in that set time wins the round!”

“Sounds easy enough.” Joey nodded.

“For a simpleton, I can imagine so,” Weevil cackled.

Joey snarled from that libel. His attention quickly turned elated upon seeing and smelling the large plate of freshly cooked chicken. The meat shined from the glossy sauce. He rubbed his hands together and swallowed his growing drool.

Yugi smiled as he tightened one fist. “ _Come on, Joey. You can do this. Just don’t choke from going too fast._ ”

“Ready? Begin!”

Joey at once snatched a piece of meat off his plate. He brought it to his mouth and immediately chomped on it. His eyes popped open; the flavor was instance. He licked his lips as the polished sauce dripped down. He gleefully continued on his way; the trip to the small shop for their famous food dish was worth the wait. Pecking clean one, he at once selected another and gnawed on it.

Yugi amazingly watched as Joey scarfed down the numerous wings. He spotted his friend’s amusing grin as he ate, clearly enjoying the flavor the chicken offered. He smiled a bit, happy that he joined his buddy on their expedition to the restaurant for the food that he wanted.

His body jolted hearing the timer dinged.

“The winner for round one is Weevil!”

The two stared at the short teen with the bowel haircut, stunned that he managed to eat the set number in the required time. They received a haughty smile from him.

Yugi was speechless.

“It’s ok, Yug.” Joey assured after seeing his pal’s expression. “We may be down, but we’re not out!”

“Face it!” Weevil jeered. “You might as well quit now!”

“No way!” Joey roared. “I’m in it to win it!”

The plates on the table were being cleared up by the servers. As they made room for the next round, Joey stayed in his seat. He grabbed his free water and sipped on the straight black straw. The fresh water rinsed out his mouth from the previous flavors of the traditional buffalo style. Although he was a tad disappointed he lost the first round, he still had two more to bear through. He turned and saw Yugi faithfully remained in his spot. He smiled knowing his partner was standing by.

“Get outta the chair!” Rex ordered. “It’s my turn to take down this chump!”

“Ok, ok.” Weevil muttered.

The short adolescents swapped places. Weevil now stood on the opposite end of Mai and Yugi while Rex turned to his opponent and grinned maliciously.

The servers of the restaurant waited a moment to see if the other team was prepared to do the same. Seeing the two members remaining in place, they began the next part. One server took out a blindfold and placed it over the two boys.

Yugi watched as his friend’s vision was taken away. “ _They’re putting blindfolds on them? What do they plan to do next?_ ”

He watched as new dishes were placed top. Some plates contained a single chicken wing while others were set up with different types of foods like strawberries, chocolate sauce, lettuce, pickles, onion rings, French fries. He observed the ones carrying the wings shined, but each wing was a different flavor; some were buffalo, others were teriyaki, and some were barbecue.

“ _Why are there so many options?_ ”

“There are many wings among many other foods.” Mai explained once the setup was completed. “The competitors will need to remain blindfolded throughout this match. The first one to find and eat three wings in five minutes wins! Go!”

The two competitors stretched their arms across the table. Since their vision was blocked, they needed to rely on their other senses. Their fingers moved from plate from plate, feeling the texture of the food, the tablecloth, and plates. One minute had passed, and not one opponent found the correct item.

Joey shuddered upon touching the cold and slippery chocolate sauce while Rex decided to gulf down the nearest plate to him.

“Chocolate covered raisins?!” he shouted flabbergasted. “Who eats those?!”

The crowd laughed at the teen’s mistake as he then squished a few slices of tomatoes in between his fingers.

“Stay focus!” Weevil ordered.

Yugi watched as their opponent located one of the correct foods. The timer continued to count down, and his partner had yet to uncover a single piece of chicken. He studied the table, looking for possible strategies to use even though he was not the one in the seat.

“Come on, Joey,” he whispered. “You can do this; it’s just like a game.”

Mai turned her eyes towards the petite teen. She pondered why he was not coaching his friend or even playfully heckling him like so many competitors have done in the past. She briefly thought back to her other job where the rustic blonde knocked a tray of drinks onto her after he performed a high kick. Joey had openly accepted the attention while Yugi stayed quiet. She questioned their friendship.

“You can see this as a game. The only difference here is that there’s no restart button,” she reminded Yugi. “If you lose, you lose.”

Yugi turned silent as he grew embarrassed; he didn’t realize someone had overheard his mumble. He hurriedly turned his eyes from his partner to the hostess and saw her own violet eyes gazing out at the competitor’s table. He bit his lip. The restart button is what saved him on a few occasions. While he used less than Joey, he would coach his friend on different levels rather than permit him to hit that button immediately. And Joey was often proud of his own results.

He watched Joey endeavoring different strategies in finding food. He knew this strategy would go against time and his buddy’s chances of success. He tightened his fists. He felt guilty he kept quiet during the previous match. He wanted to help a friend. “Joey!”

He gasped realizing he called out. Feeling few eyes falling upon him, he felt himself shrinking; he disliked having attention drawn to him. But he saw his friend stopping his motion, and he knew he must proceed with what was on his mind.

“Joey, try and imagine the table as a clock.”

Throughout his darkened vision, Joey envisioned a white face with black numbers and black hands. He had stared at such designs during class when he desperately wanted class to end, which was often.

He heard his buddy’s voice, “Lift up your arm and aim for three o’clock.”

Joey’s palm hovered over many small plates. He kept in mind of the shape and numbers. “Am I close?”

“Yeah,” Yugi nodded. He tried his best to position himself in Joey’s seat to gain a good view. His focus was slightly interrupted by more howls from the crowd. They cheered with anticipation and enjoyment. Some mischievous members also shouted directions to distract the players.

“Eighteen o’clock!”

“Ten o’clock!”

“Twenty five o’clock!”

“Joey! Don’t listen to anything else other than me! I’m here to help!”

The blonde smiled. “I know you are.”

Thanks to his friend’s assistance, Joey picked up one chicken wing. He gobbled it down for time, but he cherished the sweet barbeque flavor. He quickly licked his fingers and hovered his hands over the plates, showing he was prepared to follow Yugi’s instructions once more.

Yugi was glad he spoke. He had guided Joey through videogames whenever they hung out, so this time was the same situation.

Meanwhile Rex consumed another plate, this one tuna.

“Will you stop filling up on random food!” Weevil ordered as he shook his fists.

“But that one was right!” Rex insisted, unaware of what he really grabbed. “Tastes exactly like chicken!”

“Everything but chicken tastes like chicken, you twit!”

Yugi picked up the lack of teamwork between his opponents. “ _How did these two manage to win the last competition if they are constantly fighting with each other?_ ”

He shook his head. He needed to remain focus and give his friend support.

“Now picture your hand being the minute hand,” he instructed firmly, completely confident in his aid. “Aim for about forty-three.”

Joey obeyed. He heeded his situation like a trusting game played between classmates and coworkers. With Yugi’s guide, he uncovered a teriyaki wing. He took his time eating as sauce dripped down his chin.

Weevil disliked how his opponents managed to eat two of the required numbers. “Rex! There’s a wing right there on your left! Hurry up and get it!”

“Right here?” the short teen asked, his hand touching a pile of shredded lettuce.

“You’re other left!”

“Left?”

“Right!”

As the two argued over directions, the bell rang.

“And the winner for this round is Joey Wheeler!”

The blonde removed his blindfold. He gleefully smiled as he threw one fist in the air. He grinned at his reliable partner. “Thanks for the help, Yug. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Yugi smiled.

“I would’ve won if you hadn’t given such terrible directions!” Rex growled.

“They weren’t terrible!” Weevil argued. “You just need to figure out how to follow them!”

“The final round will begin shorty!” Mai announced. “Are we all having a great time!?”

The crowd cheered.

“I’m taking this round!” Weevil shouted to his teammate. “We don’t need to lose another one!”

He at once shoved Rex out of the chair, causing the boy with the beanie to land on the ground.

Yugi spotted how his rivals treated each other. He wondered if they were friends at all, and he discerned that their team up was solely for winning races that involved a compulsory collaboration. His attention changed upon hearing Joey give a heavy sigh. He spotted in the honey-colored eyes of his friend’s pep leaving him. “Joey? Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s bring on the wings!”

Yugi wondered if his friend had hit his limit; Joey had already eaten a fair amount of meat, and he had painstakingly picked up his food. His fists shook. He couldn’t allow his friend to go about the mission alone. But he questioned what he could perform to help.

“Giving up, are we?” Weevil mocked.

“Not by a long shot!” Joey shouted.

“Are you sure?” Rex added, having already dusted himself off after he had been dethroned.

The blonde was about to reply when he let out a soft belch. His stomach ached; he had eaten a handful of traditional buffalo-style wings, and the last piece he ate in round two was a tad spicy. He wanted to set his spinning head down on the cool table.

“ _Aw, jeez, my stomach’s really kicking my butt now. But what am I supposed to do? I can’t let these guys win. They gotta learn they can’t treat people like that! Plus, Yug’s been by my side throughout this entire game. I can’t just walk away and let him down.”_

“I’ll do it!” shouted a voice.

The three teens turned to see who volunteered.

Yugi boldly stepped forward.

“Yug?” Joey gasped.

“I can’t let you do this alone!” the smaller member vowed. He turned to the group and declared, “The rules allow any team to switch places. I’m taking Joey’s place now.”

The whole crowd gasped.

“Yug…” Joey breathed astonished.

“This little pipsqueak is gonna try and take me on?” Weevil scoffed.

The friends shot a determined stare to their enemies.

“Yugi’s _definitely_ gonna beat you guys.” Joey stated with confidence. He stood up from his chair and allowed his buddy to take his spot.

Yugi bravely took his seat. He looked ahead of him and took notes of the plates from the previous rounds. His heart raced, pumping adrenaline into his body and mind. He felt a hand on his shoulder. Surprised, he looked up and saw Joey.

The blonde smiled at him, “Give your best, Yug.”

The small teen nodded.

The doors opened, and two servers exited while holding the plates.

“Here we are in the final round of this competition,” Mai narrated. “This one is the reason why we had our competitors sign a waiver before entering.”

“We did?” Joey and Yugi asked as the same time. They had placed their name on any page that had asked for it. Joey rarely read anything, and Yugi believed he would only be cheering.

“The final round is eating a wing made with a special sauce,” Mai continued. “A pretty spicy one. You could call it _suicidal_.”

The servers placed a plate containing a single chicken wing in front of the opponents.

“Oh no,” Yugi groaned. He enjoyed food that provided a good kick, especially for ones that pumped up his burgers. But he turned hesitant of how fiery a particular food is after bearing through a prank cultivated by his brother and his grandpa when he was young.

Joey placed up his defense understanding his companion’s view on invigorating food. He turned to his partner and asked, “Yug, do you want to switch seats?”

The smaller member pondered that option as he stared at his food. The miniscule piece of meat appeared innocent as it stayed in position, but Yugi was not fooled. The powerful scent bombarded his senses. He could already feel the uncontrollable zest tease his tongue as the lasting sizzle entered his ears. He fearfully swallowed.

“I guess that’s that,” Weevil chuckled. “You might as well just surrender. You two never had a chance.”

Before Joey could respond to the barracking, Yugi shot a distinct glare towards his rival. He stated firmly, “Joey didn’t give up in the first round, and he had me to help him out in the second. Now it’s my turn to do something for him.”

The tall adolescent grinned proudly.

Mai grew impressed with what she saw. She wondered what would unfold in the final match. She cleared her throat and brought the microphone up to her mouth. “The rules for this last game are simple: Eat this whole piece of wing without taking any sips of water or spitting out any chunks. Doing either of those two acts will lead to an immediate disqualification.”

The whole crowd gasped. Their eyes fell onto the novice opponent.

“I accept,” Yugi declared boldly. His eyes were unyielding, and his mouth stayed straight.

“As do I!” Weevil quickly replied.

“Since both competitors have agreed to these terms, I move then that this round begin… Now!”

The adolescent with tri-color hair studied his plate. He understood his requirement and the rules abiding him. He heard his opponent’s cry and the audiences’ excited murmur. He tried to block out all other distractions; his overall goal was to stand by his friend.

Yugi recalled all the bravery the two bore; he had someone who hung with him at school and who had met his estranged family. He didn’t want to ask for anything else more. Closing his eyes, he brought the food to his mouth. His nostrils whiffed the potent smell, but that did not stop him. He declined to surrender, and he chomped right down on a good chunk of meat. The sauce burnt his tongue as flames took control. He wanted to spit out the overwhelming sensation. It was too much! He refused. His face exposed his pain, but he chewed on. The painful sensation of the sauce clashed with his saliva, spreading the burn all around. He knew he couldn’t spit it out least he surrenders, so he bravely swallowed his chunk. The fireball flew down his throat. He panted when one feat was completed. He unlocked one eye and took note of how much remained. He didn’t know if he could handle anymore.

Bearing through the pain, he heard his name being called. Before, it was only used in mockery. Now, it was for an actual cheer. Someone believed in his mission. He boldly lifted the bone back to his mouth. He faithfully took in another bite. The sweet flames engulfed his mouth. His nose ran. He sniffed as he chewed. The flavor was relentless.

Joey watched in amazement. His little buddy took his spot and accepted the final challenge. The flavor appeared quite powerful; their opponents bore through trouble as well.

“Come on, Yug!” he cheered sincerely and hopefully. “You can do it!”

Yugi chewed as his stomach ached. The mixture between his spit and the sauce made him feel like he was swallowing lava. Previously he had fought for his friend. Now he felt he was fighting for himself as well, feeling like he must prove something to others and to himself. He fared in cleaning one side of the bone. As he heard his rivals jeering each other, he faithfully rolled the other end and proceeded on.

“ _How can Joey see me as a friend if I’m not willing to stand with him?_ ”

With one final gulp, Yugi completed his challenge.

His eyes popped open, and he inhaled and exhaled heavily.

“And the winner is… Yugi Muto!”

“What?!” Weevil and Rex shouted at the same time. They then bickered at each other.

“Yeah Yug!” Joey praised.

The petite teen didn’t hear his name as he chugged his given water. He then desperately took his napkin and dabbed his tongue to quell the flames. He gathered his poisoned saliva and spat it in his crumpled napkin. He felt a strong hand planted itself on his slim shoulder. He looked at Joey. He remembered the competition, and he saw the room applauding him He turned bashful. Before, he had only received these mandatory expressions of approval after giving a report to his class. Now, there were others genuinely cheering for his accomplishment.

The blonde smiled greatly. He was very proud of his small companion.

Yugi smiled back.

“I guess you two are good friends.” Mai accepted as she made her way to the winners. “Just like a sundae, you are the cherry and he is the nuts.”

Yugi blushed from his given compliment.

“And so, with you two winning all three rounds, I’d like to reward you this blue ribbon.”

“Awesome!” Joey exclaimed. “Don’t the winners get a kiss from the beautiful woman?”

Yugi grew even redder at the comment.

Compunctious by the remark, Mai threw the prize at the champs. The ribbon smacked Joey in his face, but he caught it before it fell to the ground.

Yugi stifled his laugh. He then felt something in his hand, and he saw Joey placing their prize in between their hands.

The pair raised their blue ribbon high in the air with great pride as the crowd cheered.

* * *

“My stomach hurts…”

Back over at the Turtle Game Store, the two teens groaned in pain as they lied on the couches. The meat covered in sauce sloshed inside.

“I _knew_ I shouldn’t have ordered more wings.” Joey groaned.

“Then why did you?” Yugi questioned, his mouth slightly pained by the lustrous chicken from earlier.

“Cuz they were that good! I’m itchin’ to go back soon!”

Yugi laughed. He was happy he had been invited to go somewhere with a friend outside of school. Just like before when he first invited Joey over to his place, he never had expected a little trip to become such a big adventure. His eyes fell onto the glass coffee table between them.

“What do you want to do about the ribbon?” Yugi asked.

Joey smiled proudly. “You keep it.”

“Wha?”

“You took up your spot for our team, you handled that suicide wing on your own, and you showed those guys who’s boss. You deserve it!”

Yugi smiled warmly. He was happy he fulfilled another social obligation to prove his friendship. The foul flavor of the meat remained his mouth, but the burn in his heart was greater.

“ _I hope I’m not getting heartburn._ ”

“Hello?” a stout voice called out.

“Sounds like Yami.” Yugi noted.

The teens lifted up their heads as they eyed someone coming into the den. Inside came an older adolescent with striking tri-color hair. Across his shoulder and down to his waist was his brown messenger bag. He carried in one hand a small plastic bag.

“Hey, guys.” Yami greeted. “Grandpa told me you two are back here. Did you both have fun today around Domino’s Plaza?”

Yugi nodded.

“We had ourselves an adventure!” Joey proudly declared.

“Was it one that involved pressing X a lot?” Yami questioned playfully. He looked at his brother. Though he typically held the upper hand in combats, Yugi had developed his own witty remarks.

Yugi smiled at his brother and asked, “Did you get your stuff done?”

“Yes, we did.” Yami nodded. “We should be prepared for our presentation this week.”

“That’s good,” Yugi mumbled. He lowered himself back down, still feeling unwell.

Yami smiled, both in happiness for his brother and in amusement seeing Yugi’s ill expression.

“Oh, before I forget.” he mumbled, rustling through a plastic bag that he brought up to his chest. “My group went out for dinner, and I thought you two might want some.”

He pulled out a plastic bowel with a black bottom and clear flattop.

“I brought home some wings. You can have some, if you want.”

Yugi and Joey at once groaned.

**The End**


End file.
